


Mokuren: Asides

by MelissaKeith



Series: Tales of Mokuren [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Databook Profiles, Gen, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Short Stories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-09 23:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8917639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelissaKeith/pseuds/MelissaKeith
Summary: Hi!This does contain stories, and also some side stuff too. These don't necessarily have plots, and might not have anything to do with Mokuren's plot. I often feel like telling you about some character we saw for like two seconds, or never wanted to hear about, like Kujaku's dress.Also! If you're interested in artwork etc related to Mokuren, please look at mokuren-fanfic.tumblr.com ! I may also post the artwork into this story.





	1. Senurou's Regret

**_D_ isclaimer: Anything you recognize from somewhere else other than my Naruto fanfiction Mokuren (which you should read first or this is all meaningless) doesn't belong to me. I make no profit from this.**

_**Author's Note: This is about Senurou, who is Teru's teammate as well as Umerano's husband. (Teru is Mokuren's father; Umerano is Maitsu's sensei.) This takes place between the Lost Mission and Chunin Exam arcs.** _

* * *

**Senurou's Regret**

Senurou was young still; logically, he knew this. Sometimes, though, his regrets caught up and aged him.

There was nothing that allowed them to do so more than seeing Mokuren. She was the daughter of his dead teammate, the man he owed his life to; the child his wife had always wanted, when he could never give her children; but her precocious attitude and determination were identical to that of his other teammate, a traitor.

Teru, Umerano, Machiko. His most important people - all of whom he had failed - were wrapped up into one child that was fast becoming an angsty teenager.

As he entered the hospital, feeling older and wearier than ever, he wondered if he was failing Mokuren too.

For years - since the mission that had taken her father, really - Mokuren had been pestering him for training. If he had ever agreed, he wondered if she would still have ended up here. Initially it had been too difficult to face her: later, his rejections were based on her growing resemblance to Machiko.

Machiko, the traitor he hadn't seen since he was thirteen. She'd been placed on his genin team, along with Teru. She had been proud, he remembered, and arrogant, but only as a cover for her emotional frailty. Her eyes were blue, and Mokuren's brown, but even physically they were extraordinarily similar in build and in hair.

As silly as he felt thinking it, even Umerano looked less like Machiko than Mokuren did.

Umerano and Machiko had been twins, identical but for Umerano's purple eyes. For much of their childhood and time as a genin, the two had the same haircut and shared outfits. Still, he rationalized, their mannerisms had always been very different. You never needed to see their eyes to know one from the other. But _Mokuren_ acted just like her, spoke just like her. Even though their roots were different, even though Umerano was insistent that Machiko had practically been born to betray Sunagakure...

The darkness in Machiko, the way she began to distance herself, it hadn't been at all subtle or unexpected. Everyone had seen it coming, and had let it go. He could see something in Mokuren, too. Had been seeing it grow more a little every year. Always, he convinced himself he was projecting. That his fear of another Machiko was making him see things that weren't there.

Still, he treated her differently. Senurou always saw Machiko in her shadow. He wanted to be there for her: Mokuren had always been a lonely child, and he knew her mother wasn't a good person... but it was stressful to be haunted so viciously by his mistakes.

Mokuren's teammates were two boys, one tall and thin that had placed himself out of sight, in the far corner of her hospital room. The other was stocky, and had pinkish hair - Senurou was pretty sure he was Kisako's son, as hers was nearly the same shade.

Senurou watched the three of them interact with some sorrow. It was clear that her teammates felt responsible for her injuries; Senurou hadn't been given any information yet about what had happened, but Mokuren had complained enough that his best guess was that she had done something sacrificial, having no faith in her teammates' abilities.

Machiko had always done that kind of thing, too. She had never trusted her teammates, not really.

Mokuren seemed conflicted in her behavior today, lashing out at her teammates, being apologetic the next second, but somehow seeming angrier for it. Senurou himself said little, not knowing the boys at all and feeling nostalgic at seeing a genin team talking so much.

"They're not acting right!" She revealed her problem to him, after the boys had left. "They're not yelling back. They should be furious. Why aren't they?"

"Mokuren..." it hurt him to see her in distress, but he wasn't sure what to say.

"Ugh, and you too, Senu-jii. Are they blaming themselves or something?" Mokuren had been lying down, glaring at the ceiling, but she sat up to look over at him. "Are you doing that, too?"

"... Sorry." For blaming himself, and for failing her, too.

Mokuren seemed very eager to scold somebody - trying to settle into some kind of normalcy, probably. Establish her superiority with someone, since it had failed with her teammates.

"Senu-jii, you really overthink things, you know? And now those two are doing it, too. There isn't a thing that happened to me on this mission that was in any way your fault or theirs. I did most of this to myself too, you know! Taking on the blame doesn't even do anything, except make it about you.

"On that topic - I've been meaning to say this to you for a really long time. I know there's a lot I don't know, and that you can't tell me, but I can still tell. Tou-san's death wasn't your fault at all. Anything he ever did, he chose to do."

Senurou felt a flash of alarm, but realized that it wasn't much of a leap to get to this. Her father's death was what everything came down to, from Mokuren's point of view.

(The way her parents' deaths had been for Machiko.)

"I'm sorry," he found himself repeating.

Mokuren huffed, and sat up more fully. She wanted to look him in the eyes, so that maybe the words would sink in. "I _just_ said. It's not your fault. The things other people chose to do - even if you think you influenced them, or that you could have done something to make them do something better - that's their fault still. Stop thinking like that! If you're really so sorry for whatever, do something about it. Help somebody else."

Senurou grimaced, but huffed out a laugh. "Is that a hint?"

"No, not really. Unless you want to help me figure out how to piss Ringo and Bishou off? Because I can't keep up like this. I'm the only one getting angry, and it has me feeling kind of... weak."

That. _That_ was the kind of thing that kept Mokuren from becoming Machiko; that she could (still) admit to a weakness.

* * *

_**Senurou is kind of important, as a character. He's one of the links between Mokuren's past and her future, and I feel kind of bad that I did end up cutting his scenes from the first arc way back when.** _


	2. The Dressmaker

_**Author's Note: This is about Iwaichi Kujaku, and takes place several years before our story properly begins in Sangogakure no Sato, the Hidden Village of the Coral. Her character was introduced in the Chunin Exams arc.** _

* * *

**The Dressmaker**

Chosuke was a proud man, an expert in his field and a loving father of three. He was probably the best known tailor in Sango, and his family had always been in Nami no Kuni; his prospects were very good. His children were all lovely, intelligent, and well-mannered, but if they hadn't been he still would have been there for them.

His niece, though...

Grimacing, Chosuke looked between the scribbly drawing surrounded by notes, and seven year-old Iwaichi Kujaku's puppy eyes.

"Chosuke-san, please! I know you can do this!"

"Ku-chan, I... well, I mean, I really don't think I-"

"You promised!" Kujaku insisted, her expression turning vicious more quickly than lightning. Chosuke winced.

Beside them, his sister and his brother in law were silently cackling. They were both shinobi, and he should've expected that their daughter was a complete weirdo at heart.

"I know I promised you any dress, but... Ku-chan, I mean... it would take months to..."

Sensing a break, her anger immediately drained away. Eyes shining, Kujaku said, "It's alright if it takes _years,_ if it ends up being a tenth birthday present instead! I'll help you too, I promise!"

"But... Ku-chan, look..."

His sister finally got herself together long enough to throw him a line. "Kujaku, your design is for armor, and Chosuke just doesn't have experience with armor."

Kujaku's crestfallen expression was almost heartbreaking, but still she pressed on. "But... it's a ballgown, see? It just, um... happens to be made of metal. And... anyway.. even if you're not experienced at it, if I took this to somebody else we'd have to pay a lot of money for it, right?"

Her question was met with silence. Chosuke met his sister's eyes, wondering if she'd encouraged Kujaku only for the sake of her wallet.

When Kujaku's father spoke up, though, he found he'd accused the wrong person. "Dear, armor just isn't his area... I'm sure he'd be willing to pay a proper blacksmith to make this, though. He owes you a dress, after all."

"Ah?! Really?!" Kujaku cried, throwing herself at her uncle. "Thank you, Chosu-jii! Thank you so much!"

The hug pretty much sealed the deal; there was no escape for Chosuke, or his wallet, now. He could practically hear his wife's complaints already, but it wasn't like they couldn't afford it, and he had known his wife was right when she told him shinobi only made life more difficult. Chosuke had already made his peace with that fact.

... his niece was really a piece of work, but he'd always be there for her too.

* * *

_**This was originally included at the end of the chapter 'The Arrogant Tree'.** _


	3. Mokuren

**Character File**

*** Mokuren (木蓮** **) *  
Other names: 'Zoruna Mei (** **ｿﾞﾙﾅ** **命)',**

The titular character of the story she exists in, Mokuren is a shinobi of Sunagakure no Sato (The Hidden Village of the Sand). She entered training to become a ninja following her father's death in the line of duty. She was born some ten years after the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

**Personal**

Birth date: 21 April (Taurus)

Age: 12

Height: 147 cm (4'10")

Weight: 39.4 kg (86.862 lb)

Blood Type: AB

Nature Type: Wind

Affiliation: Sunagakure

Team: 'Team Temari', Mo-En-Ka Alliance,

**Rank**

Ninja Rank: Genin (as of The Chunin Exams arc)

Academy Grad. Age: 12

Chunin Prom. Age: N/A

**Family**

* Teru (Father)

* Hanatsuya (Mother)

* Yamako (Paternal Grandmother)

**Background**

Mokuren is described by a family friend as a 'lonely child'; in the first chapter it is shown that Mokuren knows very few of her classmates, and likes only Kamiki, Kirikama and Maitsu. Her father's former teammate Senurou, and Senurou's wife Umerano, are family friends that she visits and refers to affectionately. She is also friends with two civilians living in Sand - Reiko and Karusuke. Though she lives with her mother, their relationship is poor and Hanatsuya is rarely mentioned. Her father, Teru, was killed in action on an A-Rank mission; from a rumor, Mokuren suspects that he died near the Hi no Kuni (Fire Country) border.

**Appearance**

Mokuren has thick, straight brown hair that is poorly cared for and usually left in loose pigtails, though she has bangs. Her eyes are dark, typically drawn as black. She has a wide face, and often has slight bruises under her eyes from a combination of genetics and poor sleep. Her usual outfit has a full mesh top and leggings vaguely covered by a sleeveless khaki 'crop top', with a matching paneled skirt.

**Personality**

Mokuren is initially shown as uncaring, internally irritable, and mentions sleeping during class several times within the first chapter. Though she is revealed to be fairly determined and invested in the shinobi lifestyle, Mokuren ruins her first impression with her fellow genin by scolding them and falling asleep. Mokuren refuses to use the real names of people she does not acknowledge, or wants to annoy, instead picking names that are often belittling or contain inside jokes. She is shown to view herself highly, looking down on most of her classmates with Maitsu as an exception, as Maitsu '[is] one of the few people in their class that Mokuren actually thought deserved to be a ninja'. She is also entertained by the idea of Suikana, a classmate, feeling the need to show Mokuren pity.

As the uncaring facade starts to show through, Mokuren is shown to greatly enjoy weirding others out due to an unacknowledged desperation for attention. Mokuren is a very restless person, opposite the relaxed look she tries for, and often does unnecessary work for the sake of not being bored. She places great value on the title of shinobi, and was defensive of that status. Mokuren is socially inept, and has difficulty expressing her emotions, especially anger.

A great flaw of hers appears to be nostalgia, which makes it hard for her to appreciate the present, instead desiring her 'better days'. Her great ambition is to discover who exactly killed her father, and what it was that he died for.

**Arc One: Team Temari**

This arc covers nearly three months of time, starting with Mokuren meeting her team, introducing some of her close friends, and slightly developing her character. The first two chapters happen over two days, showing Mokuren attending meetings and visiting friends. The third is primarily about the team as a whole figuring out whether or not they can manage together, or would be better off split. The final three parts to this arc are about missions, with brief interlude paragraphs that summarize the training that she and her fellow genin teammates undergo. A couple of spars between the teammates are mentioned, all tense, and the three discover their nature types.

Despite the length of time, Mokuren does not actually act any more comfortable with Kentsu, Tetsuko or Temari by the end of this arc. Instead, she treats them only as people she has to be around for the sake of her career and focuses her interactions with them on establishing control or on her own improvement.

**Arc Two: The Lost Mission**

Initially, Mokuren is the same as ever, if slightly happier for the freedom from Sunagakure's walls. She demonstrates more ease with Temari than before, and reveals that she has a habit of stealing from the people around her when her other hobbies are not available. The mission is wrapped up fairly easily, in large part due to Mokuren, with her teammates appearing rather silly for their approach to the situation and their naivety after finding the 'villain'. The real trouble of the arc is hinted at when a restaurant owner mistakes Mokuren for someone else, and properly begins with a sandstorm that leaves Mokuren, Kentsu, and Tetsuko stranded, with Mokuren gravely injured.

She wakes eventually to find her teammates in danger, and kills for the first time. The comfort she receives when she opens up after creates a bond with her teammates that their previous days could not. All three are stressed and troubled, and Mokuren's pretensions don't hold up very well in the situation. When they are attacked and lose to a large group of bandits, Mokuren is able to turn herself over to them to play the part of a dead girl, Zoruna Mei, giving her teammates a chance to leave the situation alive.

Playing as Mei becomes distressingly nostalgic for Mokuren as she finds that the primary person she is asked to fool is Zoruna Ryuu, Mei's distraught father. Though Mokuren tries to view the situation clinically, especially in regards to gaining a summons contract from him, she is still torn up about her own father's demise and empathizes greatly with Ryuu. She appears to be considering staying with these bandits and giving up her ambition to live as her father might have wanted, only attempting an escape when she senses her teammates nearby and worries for them.

At the finale of the arc, Temari arrives and kills Ryuu, believing that he was in the midst of torturing Mokuren. As they start home, Mokuren uses Kentsu and Tetsuko's real names for the first time to indicate her acknowledgment of their perseverance and sharp increase in ability.

**Arc Three: The Chunin Exams**

The arc starts by briefly summarizing several months, paying brief attention to Mokuren's realization that her capture has changed her teammates permanently just when she was starting to feel a solid bond to them. A side story also exists within this time, discussing Senurou's guilt and Mokuren's somewhat hypocritical views about living in the past.

She is shown to be fonder of her teammates' antics as they walk over the Great Naruto Bridge into Wave Country, where the new Hidden Village of the Coral is hosting the Chunin Exams. Once they are within the city, she and her team manage to meet a great number of people their own age and have interactions in which Mokuren is more willing to listen, and expresses her joy more clearly. She no longer isolates herself from them, and acts much less mature and guarded while they are present.

The first exam's Sensory Overload illusion takes them all by surprise, and causes Mokuren a great deal more pain than most of the others due to her sensory difficulties. She does clearly attempt to focus on her teammates first, and does not try to tackle this on her own - although in fairness, she was not given much time. Trust was still displayed between the three of them, and they managed to scrape through the tampered exam.

The second exam has them separated; Mokuren trusts that her teammates can handle themselves for the immediate future, certain that they will not get their team disqualified, and chooses to make new friends. She also manages to summon a talking rat for the first time. Though she is overly mature and condescending again with Hibito and Kanemaru, she warms up fairly quickly and together, they work to prevent foes from ambushing the large group Kirikama pulled together. She is drugged by Kanemaru's mosquito summons and unintentionally helps his team to succeed the exam almost at the cost of Maitsu's team. She also causes trouble by calling Kanemaru's bluff when he takes a prisoner.

As the preliminary exams are about to begin, Mokuren forgives Kanemaru, deciding to place blame on his teammate, and tries to convince Hibito to be as forgiving. In her preliminary fight against the Konohagakure nin Aida, Mokuren is still very weak and tries to play it off as being merciful towards Aida's weak confidence. She has difficulty hiding her fear and disgust with Temari due to her drugged state. She plays cards during most of the other matches, something she has mentioned enjoying several times in this arc. Mokuren sobers up a great deal when Kirikama is seriously injured by Kanemaru's teammate, Kujaku, but still comes up with some nicknames for the remaining contestants.

**Arc Four: Pre-Tourney Fillers**

Within the first chapter, Mokuren messes with her teammate a bit and thinks of her father. She starts to sleep in the closet of the boys' room rather than in her shared room with Temari, as she is still heavily affected by Zoruna's murder at Temari's hands. The team goes to see Kirikama in the hospital, and Mokuren becomes more determined for it.

The team decides to seek serious specific training from Temari, and are asked to complete essays. However, Mokuren receives an offer from her summons for training from their council, and greatly prefers that to being around Temari. Mokuren leaves her teammates a note, hoping that they will pass her disappearance off as another of her quirks. She meets with the king of rats, and is amazed by the tunnels that the rat summons live in. Her training with them consisted mostly of ninjutsu spars at the beginning, but an injury has her turned over towards meditation aimed at sensing and drawing in natural chakra.

Frustrated with the slow pace of that, Mokuren ultimately decides to be trained by Temari anyway. She starts to talk more casually with Tetsuko in this time, becoming protective as she realizes that some of his issues are due to his father.

Reiko's arrival for the exam and the subsequent discussion hints at her association with the black market of Wind Country. Mokuren is clearly more than alright with this, another example of her irreverence for her country's laws.

**Arc Five: The Great Tournament**

S

**Trivia**

*Her name came somewhat from Hua Mulan - Mokuren is a Japanese name meaning magnolia; Mulan is a Chinese name meaning the same. I'm also personally fond of magnolia trees. If she were a character in an english speaking setting, she might go by Maggie and pretend that it is short for Margaret.

*Mokuren's favorite food is squid, with other fish coming close. She loves to reference western children's literature, to the confusion of most other people. She loves phrases that she can include to indicate that she believes the person she is talking to doesn't know much, but has no particular favorite saying.

*Her hobbies include helping out at local businesses, training, stealing, playing card games, and bothering her teammates.


	4. Tetsuko

**Character File**

*** Tetsuko (** ** 鉄虎 ** **) ***

**Other names: Ringo** **, 'Isao',**

Tetsuko is a member of Mokuren's genin team, and is the son of a weapons store owner. His perspective is given many times throughout the story, and he is one of the main protagonists of the first four arcs. His quiet nature makes him a more difficult character to pay attention to and sympathize with.

**Personal**

Birth date: 6 October (Libra)

Age: 12 (as of The Lost Mission arc)

Height: 156 cm (5')

Weight: 38.5 kg (84.877 lb)

Blood Type: A

Nature Type: Wind

Affiliation: Sunagakure

Team: 'Team Temari', 'Fourteen Alliance',

**Rank**

Ninja Rank: Genin

Academy Grad. Age: 11

Chunin Prom. Age: N/A

**Family**

* Nesuri (Father)

**Background**

Tetsuko is close childhood friends with Kentsu, also his genin teammate, although they showed something similar to a rivalry at the start of the story. His father, Nesuri, is not very encouraging and was the primary motivation for Tetsuko to become a ninja in the first place.

**Appearance**

Tetsuko has dark hair and eyes, drawn as black. His skin is paler than that of his teammates, and he is described as being awkwardly thin. He is taller than his teammates, but is actually the youngest of the three and was still eleven for much of the first two arcs. He chooses very modest clothing, and his typical outfit resembles salwar kamiz in brown with a long khaki overcoat.

**Personality**

Tetsuko is timid around new people, and afraid to cause offense. Even with those he knows well he is quiet, often smothering down emotions. His father's political views, especially concerning the illegalization of temptations, have been passed to Tetsuko. His character is shown less than his teammates, as he is a more subtle person. His relationship with his father has left him feeling insecure and he holds a great fear of failure, though he is not unaccustomed to it; he is even somewhat of a perfectionist. His long history with Kentsu, who is more boisterous, has left him feeling to a point that he is not fully his own person. He is indecisive about a great number of things, which also contributes to him allowing others to lead even when he disagrees.

Tetsuko does prioritize group success over an individual's, and became a ninja largely to impress his father. He does not believe himself to be cut out for the shinobi lifestyle, and has difficulty setting goals and thinking forward.

**Arc One: Team Temari**

Tetsuko is placed on a genin team with his childhood friend/rival Kentsu and a stranger, Mokuren, who he briefly appears to have a crush on. Despite the difficulties he and Kentsu were having with their friendship before the start of the story, he is still very protective of him. Tetsuko receives a great deal of training from Temari throughout the arc, and discovers that his nature type is wind. However, he does not seem to advance as well as Kentsu does, and Tetsuko has almost no scenes to himself.

**Arc Two: The Lost Mission**

Tetsuko enjoys the freedom of leaving Sunagakure only briefly. The mission itself goes poorly for him - he and Kentsu make multiple mistakes while trying to investigate the dried well, and although he disagrees with Kentsu's methods he still follows them.

His clothing protects him well during the sand storm, and he actually takes the lead somewhat while he and Kentsu fight to survive. After being captured and then rescued by Mokuren, he is so upset that she appeared to be remorseless about murder that he seriously considers quitting. However, he is quick to support her and for the first time really, the two have a scene regarding their friendship. He does very well in the fight against Ayano, but not well enough. After Mokuren's capture, he and Kentsu initially do very poorly and Tetsuko is forced to take charge. Together they resolve to become stronger and rescue Mokuren.

When they meet Azami, a former chunin who was being held captive by a band of smugglers, Tetsuko is disgusted by her. She has a fondness for alcohol, and he can't stand that. He learns about illusions from her, something that he picks up easily on and has a natural talent for. When she disappears as they are breaking into the Zoruna Compound, he is angry but not very surprised.

He and Kentsu find Mokuren only a minute after Temari does, and Tetsuko is non-judgmental about Zoruna's death as he believes it was necessary to save Mokuren.

**Arc Three: The Chunin Exams**

Initially frustrated by the insects that like to bite him, Tetsuko is grumpy as they travel to the site of their first chunin exam. Tetsuko meets many other competitors for the Chunin Exams before the first one and crushes on Yuri, a Coral kunoichi. During the first exam, Tetsuko performs spectacularly, aside from prioritizing his new crush over his teammates.

In the second, survival-based exam, Tetsuko's luck and his system of traps keep him from fights until he and Yuri team up. Kirikama approaches them about making a large group to work together and pass the exam in bulk. Tetsuko's perspective in that group is not explored much.

In the preliminary fights, Tetsuko is asked to face Yuri. She easily convinces him to give up, as he has no solid goal and no desire to attack her.

**Arc Four: Pre-Tourney Fillers**

Fill this in later

**Arc Five: The Great Tournament**

Up in the stand, Tetsuko worries for his team and for Maitsu. 

**Trivia**

*His name was created halfheartedly, as he was originally not going to have a perspective or be very important to the narrative of Mokuren. At that point, I knew very little about Japanese names and assigned him one that actually looks fairly feminine - I've thought about changing it throughout the story, but instead picked a different kanji to spell it with. At the start, I intended Tetsuko to mean 'child of iron', referencing his father's occupation.

*Tetsuko's favorite foods are falafel and kofta.

*His hobbies include reading and writing poetry. He likes to study traps, and plan out pranks that he is unwilling to actually commit.

*Tetsuko tastes very good to mosquitos.


	5. Kentsu

**Character File**

***** **Kentsu** **(ケンツ** **) ***

**Other names: Bishou, 'Akio',**

Kentsu is a ninja of the Hidden Village of the Sand, who aspires to be Kazekage one day. His teammates are his childhood friend Tetsuko and Mokuren. He shows interest primarily at taijutsu at first, later turning more to traps and trickery. He really wants to be a ninjutsu specialist, however.

**Personal**

Birth date: 29 June (Cancer)

Age: 12

Height: 150 cm (4'11")

Weight: 43.5 kg (95.901 lb)

Blood Type: B

Nature Type: Fire

Affiliation: Sunagakure

Team: 'Team Temari', 'Fourteen Alliance',

**Rank**

Ninja Rank: Genin

Academy Grad. Age: 12

Chunin Prom. Age: N/A

**Family**

* Kisako (Mother)

**Background**

He was raised by his mother Kisako, a loudmouthed kunoichi of the Sand whose strength is primarily in taijutsu and spear usage. Kentsu struck up a friendship with Tetsuko when they were four, as Kisako was old friends with Nesuri, Tetsuko's father.

**Appearance**

Kentsu has thick salmon hair cut shorter on one side than the other. He is thickly set and heavier than his teammates; he tans easily. His eyes are dark brown, and he has long eyelashes and good teeth.

**Personality**

Kentsu's first lines in the story display a misogynistic viewpoint and his typical angry outlook. Through the first and second arc, he is extremely quick to resort to violence and anger in response to stressors. He doesn't consider others' feelings, Tetsuko's excluded, and defines himself in opposition to the people around him.

He is still fairly oblivious toward others, but simmers down considerably due to guilt. He learns to work with rather than against his teammates, and becomes comfortable with Mokuren and Temari being part of his life.

**Arc One: Team Temari**

This arc starts up with a willful Kentsu that acts rashly, lashes out at friends, and doesn't appear to think seriously about anyone else. He seems to be the largest obstacle to teamwork, having decided to treat both teammates as rivals.

His abilities develop more under Temari's tutelage than the other two, and starts to show a knack for adapting during fights.

**Arc Two: The Lost Mission**

Choosing to 

**Arc Three: The Chunin Exams**

**Arc Four: Pre-Tourney Fillers**

**Arc Five: The Great Tournament**

As of yet, he has just been uncomfortable and glared at other competitors.

**Trivia**

*His nickname means smile, but is also a reference to his slight 'bishounen' look.

*His name was just something I thought sounded nice. It has literally never had a meaning, and is spelled only with katakana, but his perspectives start with the kanji for sword, "剣", pronounced _ken_.

*Kentsu enjoys almost all foods equally. He is allergic to several kinds of nuts, including peanuts.

*His hobbies include comic drawing, card games, eating, thinking of the zombie apocalypse, and studying the Fourth Great Shinobi War.


End file.
